I thought I'd start a thread for gathering and evaluating various road safety strategies. There's already a lot of "common sense" stuff on cycling safety, but I felt that the real "nitty gritty' stuff relating to road safety was missing.

It takes years for cyclists to develop good road sense. If we can capture the time-tested tricks & techniques developed by experienced cyclists, it could improve the chances of those new to road cycling. I've added a few points to start the discussion. Don't take them for gospel - they are there to be tested and pulled apart. All constructive criticism welcome! Feel free to add to the list. Here's my 2c worth:

1. Keep at least 200mm from the kerb. Any closer and you risk dropping your kerb-side pedal onto the top of the kerbing, which will throw you into the traffic.2. Don't stray any more than 500 mm or so from the kerb, otherwise you risk being hit from behind. 3. Watch out for kerbside drains. Sometimes the grills are bent or displaced, and they're not always flush with the road surface. In heavy traffic it's probably safer to slow down a little and go straight over the grill on the drains rather than skirting them. There's less chance of being hit from behind (see rule 7).4. Slow down BEFORE you get to the corners. If you corner too fast you will under steer and shoot out into the traffic (see rule 2). Take care not to inadvertently drift away from the kerb on right-hand corners. 5. When cornering, stop pedalling. Keep your "inside" pedal up to stop it hitting the ground as you lean into the corner. If you don't, you'll get thrown off balance and into the traffic.6. When approaching intersections, always assume that the vehicle behind you will over take you and try to turn left. Have an exit plan and be prepared to bail out.7. Cycle in a straight line - don't wobble all over the place. It makes it easier for motorists to predict where you're going, and it's the quickest way to get from A to B. 8. Listening to music while you're cycling is a bad idea. You need to be able to hear cars coming up behind you.9. Use your road positioning to indicate your intentions. If you ride down the left hand side of a cycle lane when you approach an intersection, any motorists behind you will assume you are going to turn left. If you want to travel through an intersection, stay in the cycle lane but keep to the right hand side. 10. When approaching a stop sign or a red light, change down and unclip your kerb side foot BEFORE losing speed. If you don't, you risk wobbling into the traffic and suffering a dangerous clip-stack.11. Always assume that the parked car you are passing is going either open its doors or pull out without indicating.12. Always assume that NOBODY can see you.13. Always assume that a car IS going to suddenly reverse out of the driveway.

A number of these guidelines seem to be predicated on sticking far left. This isn't necessarily the best strategy; it can be a good way of getting "buzzed", which is neither pleasant nor safe. A lot of people recommend "taking the lane" where appropriate; my experience is that this can work well.

No's 1, 2 and hence 3 are completely at odds with being safe. Gutter crawling makes you too invisible to traffic as well as exposing you to the danger of additional potholes, debris and dangerous drain grates. In many circumstances, and especially when approaching roundabouts, wombat crossings and road narrowings, taking the lane is the only safe course. Even when I'm not taking the lane, there are very few times where I'd be riding within 1 metre of the kerb - and pretty much never within your suggested 500 mm.

Your point of view on listening to music [No 8 ] has been the subject of lively debate in other threads (search it). Quite a few riders don't believe it compromises your safety one iota. Your primary defense is your eye-sight, not your ears.

No 7, don't wobble, is also contestable. It might seem counter-intuitive, but wobbling can actually have a desirable effect on following traffic - they tend to rely less on you and give you a wider berth.

With No 9, the only reliable way to indicate your intentions is with hand signals. Any motorist that assumes otherwise is a dangerous fool; the only way to escape such stupidity is to hand signal.

No 12 should really be No1 on the list, and the car door risk mentioned as part of No 11 ought to be right up there at No 2 all by itself.

You've also missed out a very big point - make yourself BIG i.e. as visible as possible. That would be my No 3.

Cheers

WombatK

Somebody has to do something, and it's just incredibly pathetic that it has to be us -Jerry Garcia

i routinely take the lane by riding in the LH wheel track. i routinely seem to get abused for it, but at least people see me and slow down. riding in the gutter invites drivers to convince themselves that there's enough room to pass, when there's not.

a basic one that many (or most) cyclists seem to ignore is to not filter past stationary traffic at an excessive speed.

11. Always assume that the parked car you are passing is going either open its doors or pull out without indicating.

you need to do more than that - you need to ride outside the door zone.

Downhill wrote:1. Keep at least 200mm (500mm) from the kerb. Any closer and you risk dropping your kerb-side pedal onto the top of the kerbing, which will throw you into the traffic.2. Don't stray any more than 500 mm (1.5m) or so from the kerb, otherwise you risk being hit from behind. 3. Watch out for (Stay clearly to the right of) kerbside drains. Sometimes the grills are bent or displaced, and they're not always flush with the road surface. In heavy traffic it's probably safer to slow down a little and go straight over (stay well away from) the grill on the drains rather than skirting them. There's less chance of being hit from behind (Ride a wider path to ensure you are predictable)(see rule 7).

Fixed

This worry you have about being hit from behind is mildly disturbing - don't ride with a persecution complex, ensure you make your presence and intentions clear to other road users.

Also, in traffic and when approaching intersections where you can expect to have priority, always keep turning the pedals. It acts a s a signal to drivers that you are intending to proceed on - reduces the likelihood of someone being tempted to jump out.

Riding bikes in traffic - what seems dangerous is usually safe; what seems safe is often more dangerous.

il padrone wrote:Also, in traffic and when approaching intersections where you can expect to have priority, always keep turning the pedals. It acts a s a signal to drivers that you are intending to proceed on - reduces the likelihood of someone being tempted to jump out.

Taking that a step further I've found that riding with high cadence helps because the drivers seem to judge your speed by how fast your legs are turning rather than by your road speed. If they see you spinning at 100rpm they think you are approaching them faster than you are. Note: purely anecdotal - no scientific testing

il padrone wrote:Also, in traffic and when approaching intersections where you can expect to have priority, always keep turning the pedals. It acts a s a signal to drivers that you are intending to proceed on - reduces the likelihood of someone being tempted to jump out.

In general I often stop pedaling especially going downhill. But I normally raise myself off my seat, make myself look BIG and stare directly at the driver in question. Works wonders! I often raise myself like this quite often, it comes down to primal animal signals of BIG, aggression and priority. It also puts you in a good position for emergency maneuvers or even the terrible event of being hit. Not that it has ever come to that because from my anecdotal evidence it works.

il padrone wrote:Also, in traffic and when approaching intersections where you can expect to have priority, always keep turning the pedals. It acts a s a signal to drivers that you are intending to proceed on - reduces the likelihood of someone being tempted to jump out.

In general I often stop pedaling especially going downhill. But I normally raise myself off my seat, make myself look BIG and stare directly at the driver in question. Works wonders! I often raise myself like this quite often, it comes down to primal animal signals of BIG, aggression and priority. It also puts you in a good position for emergency maneuvers or even the terrible event of being hit. Not that it has ever come to that because from my anecdotal evidence it works.

My experience anyway, your mileage may vary...

It has worked for me so far. I am pretty tall though so look big on the bike anyway. I also wear bright colours to be more visible.

il padrone wrote:Also, in traffic and when approaching intersections where you can expect to have priority, always keep turning the pedals. It acts a s a signal to drivers that you are intending to proceed on - reduces the likelihood of someone being tempted to jump out.

In general I often stop pedaling especially going downhill. But I normally raise myself off my seat, make myself look BIG and stare directly at the driver in question. Works wonders! I often raise myself like this quite often, it comes down to primal animal signals of BIG, aggression and priority. It also puts you in a good position for emergency maneuvers or even the terrible event of being hit. Not that it has ever come to that because from my anecdotal evidence it works.

My experience anyway, your mileage may vary...

I dont get it? How exactly do you look bigger? Your arms are still the same length? The only way to get higher is to have your shoulders above the bars, then you will be slightly more visible front on. But its the worst position to be in for braking or taking any evasive action.

Sure do whatever makes you feel better but I think your overstating how much bigger you look. The emergency braking position is raised off the seat a little but your weight should be as far back as you can comfortable get it. And of course you need to be well balanced over the bike for the best bike handling, not standing bolt upright in an attempt at gaining a few inches extra height at best.

For my two cents worth, I just try and share the road the best I can. That means taking up a lane when its in my best interests but also making room to let other traffic pass when there is a large speed difference between us. Just because I can legally take a spot in a lane with other traffic does not mean I can just ride along in someones blind spot, do that and you will get moved over on sooner or later. Of course sometimes you find yourself in that spot and its unavoidable at times. But you can still actively try to make yourself visible by where you position yourself in the lane in relation to the traffic thats around you at the time.[you learn this on motorbikes pretty quickly because the same things happen just at higher speeds, its better to be alive than within your rights]

wombatK wrote:No's 1, 2 and hence 3 are completely at odds with being safe. Gutter crawling makes you too invisible to traffic as well as exposing you to the danger of additional potholes, debris and dangerous drain grates. In many circumstances, and especially when approaching roundabouts, wombat crossings and road narrowings, taking the lane is the only safe course. Even when I'm not taking the lane, there are very few times where I'd be riding within 1 metre of the kerb - and pretty much never within your suggested 500 mm.

We don't have wombats in Perth (well not the furry kind anyway). Potholes are very few and far between too. I agree that taking the lane can sometimes be a safe tactic, but it''s an advanced skill that I wouldn't recommend to newbies, especially in low light conditions or peak hour traffic. IMHO any further out than 1 meter and you're in car territory. You often see cars clip the edges of the drains, especially on narrow roads.

wombatK wrote:"Your point of view on listening to music [No 8 ] has been the subject of lively debate in other threads (search it). Quite a few riders don't believe it compromises your safety one iota. Your primary defense is your eye-sight, not your ears.

You need to stay focussed when you're in heavy traffic, so the more senses you use, the safer you will be. We've all had occasions where wind noise alone has been enough to drown out the car that is just about to overtake you and turn left. Vision is definitely the primary sense, but we don't have eyes in the back of our head so hearing is important. And rear view mirrors.

wombatK wrote:With No 9, the only reliable way to indicate your intentions is with hand signals. Any motorist that assumes otherwise is a dangerous fool; the only way to escape such stupidity is to hand signal.

Agreed. Hand signals are great and should always be used when appropriate. But good road positioning is important too. As a motorist, how many times have you predicted that the driver in front of you is about to change lanes even before they indicate? As soon as they move to the right, you know there is a 90% chance they will try to change lanes.

wombatK wrote:No 12 should really be No1 on the list, and the car door risk mentioned as part of No 11 ought to be right up there at No 2 all by itself.You've also missed out a very big point - make yourself BIG i.e. as visible as possible. That would be my No 3.

+1 to both of those. All other things being equal, the more visible you are, the safer you are.

il padrone wrote:Also, in traffic and when approaching intersections where you can expect to have priority, always keep turning the pedals. It acts a s a signal to drivers that you are intending to proceed on - reduces the likelihood of someone being tempted to jump out.

Makes sense. Motion = visibility.

human909 wrote:In general I often stop pedaling especially going downhill. But I normally raise myself off my seat, make myself look BIG and stare directly at the driver in question...

Getting eye contact with the driver is good, especially when trying cross busy driveways. I'm not sure about standing up though. Raising the centre of gravity and reducing the number of points of contact with the 'cycle from five to four are likely to make new cyclists less stable.

One other point for the list: On dual access ways, don't assume that you're safe just because the driver in the near lane has acknowledged you. You will probably by hidden to the driver in the far lane.

Baldy wrote:For my two cents worth, I just try and share the road the best I can. That means taking up a lane when its in my best interests but also making room to let other traffic pass when there is a large speed difference between us. Just because I can legally take a spot in a lane with other traffic does not mean I can just ride along in someones blind spot, do that and you will get moved over on sooner or later. Of course sometimes you find yourself in that spot and its unavoidable at times. But you can still actively try to make yourself visible by where you position yourself in the lane in relation to the traffic thats around you at the time.[you learn this on motorbikes pretty quickly because the same things happen just at higher speeds, its better to be alive than within your rights]

il padrone wrote:This worry you have about being hit from behind is mildly disturbing - don't ride with a persecution complex...

Rest assured there is no persecution complex. They're not out to get me. But having been hit from behind before and earning a busted bike and 2 weeks in hospital for my efforts, I'd like to think I've learnt from the experience.

il padrone wrote:...ensure you make your presence and intentions clear to other road users.

high_tea wrote:A number of these guidelines seem to be predicated on sticking far left. This isn't necessarily the best strategy; it can be a good way of getting "buzzed", which is neither pleasant nor safe. A lot of people recommend "taking the lane" where appropriate; my experience is that this can work well.

I'm not quite sure what you mean by "buzzed". I assume you mean bored, as in losing focus? Or do you mean buzzed as in hitting a rumble strip?

Plan your trip. It will you help you avoid trouble spots (e.g. busy shopping centres) and locate the short cuts (e.g. underpasses and bridges).

If there is a cycle way available, use it (providing it's clean and in good condition).

If there is a cycleway on both sides of a busy road (e.g. freeways), consider using the one on the right hand side (if you can get to it safely). Many cycle ways are intermittently connected by suburban roads. If you use the "right hand" cycle way, you won't have to cross over the interconnecting roads twice to keep to the correct side of the road.

wombatK wrote:No's 1, 2 and hence 3 are completely at odds with being safe. Gutter crawling makes you too invisible to traffic as well as exposing you to the danger of additional potholes, debris and dangerous drain grates. In many circumstances, and especially when approaching roundabouts, wombat crossings and road narrowings, taking the lane is the only safe course. Even when I'm not taking the lane, there are very few times where I'd be riding within 1 metre of the kerb - and pretty much never within your suggested 500 mm.

We don't have wombats in Perth (well not the furry kind anyway). Potholes are very few and far between too. I agree that taking the lane can sometimes be a safe tactic, but it''s an advanced skill that I wouldn't recommend to newbies, especially in low light conditions or peak hour traffic. IMHO any further out than 1 meter and you're in car territory. You often see cars clip the edges of the drains, especially on narrow roads.

Cars don't clip wide riders that they move around. They clip riders that the driver doesn't think they have to move around. They clip the ones that they think they will fit between and oncoming traffic too.

Those the ones against the gutter, and particularly those in the twilight zone between parked cars the lane line edge and the lane alongside them. The precise distance doesn't matter, nor does the speed / experience of the rider matter, nor is it an advanced skill - move well out right and be seen and be safe, unless there is a viable shoulder that gives you good seperation from the drivers.

I've watched people riding in the doorzone ahead of me, and watched cars change lane to pass me, change lanes back between me and the doorzoner, and then miss the doorzoner by 2 or 3cm, after visibly acknowledging my presence with a proper safe pass.

I've also watched doorzoners and gutter riders approach intersections and cop terrible fail-to-give-ways, only for me to sail through 30 seconds later well and truly in lane and have the red sea part, clearly seeing me. I've also watched them get near left hooks and all sorts of other dumb stuff that just does not happen to me in the middle of the lane.

Visibility = lane position + hivis clothing + lights.

Australian drivers prefer gutter riders, but they only acknowledge and support visible lane claimer type riders in their unconscious driving actions, which is why virtually all the long term commuting types ride the way I do. Anything else involves too many close calls, actual accidents or stress that pushes them away from the activity.

20cm made me laugh - thats waaaay too close to having a nice tramline on the kerb seam, or a faceplant from a drain grate, and the only possible course alteration to avoid them is to move RIGHT - which is how people get clipped. You should ride where its possible to dodge LEFT as well as RIGHT, because periodically there will be cars preventing you from dodging right.

imo - you are suggesting newbie riders add too many extra static hazards to their experience, and therefore make it too hard have enough mental time to assess the dynamic ones..

I'm only new to this but riding in the gutter makes me nervous Too easy to hit the gutter, too much stuff on the ground and "they" think they have pushed you out of the way. As hard as it is for a newish rider to claim the lane it does work sometimes.

I'm always looking in at parked cars as I come up behind them to check for door openers. I also try to avoid riding at school pickup time My main thing is to concentrate (I know this is obvious) but the few times I've started to think about other stuff and drift off something has happened...

Also being able to ride without wobbling, yelling and waving arms about while being dive bombed by an insane magpie has become a strategy I have been trying to perfect this magpie season

high_tea wrote:A number of these guidelines seem to be predicated on sticking far left. This isn't necessarily the best strategy; it can be a good way of getting "buzzed", which is neither pleasant nor safe. A lot of people recommend "taking the lane" where appropriate; my experience is that this can work well.

I'm not quite sure what you mean by "buzzed". I assume you mean bored, as in losing focus? Or do you mean buzzed as in hitting a rumble strip?

I mean "buzzed" as in "overtaken without the overtaking driver leaving a safe distance". On reflection, I should have just said that in the first place . Sorry for the confusion. I notice you claim that taking a lane is an advanced tactic. I agree that it's unintuitive, but I don't think it's particularly hard; the only complication is needing to look behind, something that people need to sort out if they want to ride in traffic at all IMO. Why shouldn't newbies take the lane where appropriate?

Downhill wrote:I'm not quite sure what you mean by "buzzed". I assume you mean bored, as in losing focus? Or do you mean buzzed as in hitting a rumble strip?

I mean "buzzed" as in "overtaken without the overtaking driver leaving a safe distance". On reflection, I should have just said that in the first place . Sorry for the confusion. I notice you claim that taking a lane is an advanced tactic. I agree that it's unintuitive, but I don't think it's particularly hard; the only complication is needing to look behind, something that people need to sort out if they want to ride in traffic at all IMO. Why shouldn't newbies take the lane where appropriate?

I know what you mean about people who overtake without leaving a safe distance. But the further over to the right you are, the less safety margin they can give you.

I agree, taking a lane isn't difficult to do. By "advanced" I mean that it requires good road sense, which take time to acquire. I wouldn't recommend it to someone who is just starting out. Drive past any high school at opening or closing time and you'll see what I mean. Older "newbies", especially those with a driver's license and a few year's experience, probably have a better understanding of the risks.

There are times when taking a lane is safer than not taking a lane. If you had to "teach" someone how and when to take a lane safely, what would you want them to know before getting them to try it on their own?

human909 wrote:In general I often stop pedaling especially going downhill. But I normally raise myself off my seat, make myself look BIG and stare directly at the driver in question.

I think you may be misunderstanding the principles behind the theory of BIG. It's less about making yourself look physically big, but more about increasing your presence on the road - by positioning, use of space, actual riding manouvres and clothing/colour etc. to make you look bigger and more important. You won't actually make yourself bigger, and standing up straight on your pedals runs the real risk of placing you in a more dangerous stance for any braking actions.

Riding bikes in traffic - what seems dangerous is usually safe; what seems safe is often more dangerous.

lovemybike wrote:I'm only new to this but riding in the gutter makes me nervous Too easy to hit the gutter, too much stuff on the ground and "they" think they have pushed you out of the way. As hard as it is for a newish rider to claim the lane it does work sometimes.

I'm always looking in at parked cars as I come up behind them to check for door openers. I also try to avoid riding at school pickup time

Door openers are a static hazard. You can avoid putting effort into them altogether by riding beyond the door swing. That means you only have to identify cars in a parallel parked row that are likely to move into your path. Usual cues are blinkers, brake lights, engine sounds, exhausts, and angled front wheels, something that I don't need to put much effort into noticing, which gives me more mental time for things that are in motion around me. It is also easier to identify potential movers from wider out in the lane, because its easy to see which cars/wheels are straight or not. One glance does the row. From within the doorzone, its harder to even tell which wheel goes with which cage until close.

I've observed that a door gets opened on me every 400kms or so of city/suburb riding, in such a way that makes me sure the occupant didn't check. Every second or third "proto dooring" is a kid in the rear seat of a sedan thats been stopped for some time, thrown open to full swing.

IMost deaths associated with dooring, occur because the rider is fast enough at reacting to dodge the door, but has no information about vehicles behind them, and dodges into the path of a driver who did not realise the bicycle -could- obstruct them, another sound reason for being wide enough to convey the obstruction information at all times.

My main thing is to concentrate (I know this is obvious) but the few times I've started to think about other stuff and drift off something has happened...

too many negative results searching parked cars will do that to ya

Thinking more at the tactical level is more interesting imo, tends to keep you in the flow of riding more, so it takes longer to lose focus.

Riding a bike is an exercise in defensive driving i.e. you must have a library of traffic possibilities stored in your grey matter and a library of automatic responses.Assume that all drivers are prone to doing stupid things or indeed have not seen you because of whatever reason.Practice finding the handling limits of you and your bike so that you have confidence in sudden evasive maneuvers.Ride fast and ride straight, ride confidently but never ride arrogantly.

Downhill wrote:I'm not quite sure what you mean by "buzzed". I assume you mean bored, as in losing focus? Or do you mean buzzed as in hitting a rumble strip?

I mean "buzzed" as in "overtaken without the overtaking driver leaving a safe distance". On reflection, I should have just said that in the first place

I like to refer to it as 'elbow shaving' because that's just what these drivers seem to be trying to do. Ride wider in the lane to prevent this driver tendency.

Do it like this (I've posted this many times, but it shows it so well and many cyclists need to be reminded of good cyclecraft)

Good video. It illustrates some of the different riding environments that occur in different cities. If the lane is wide enough to accommodate cyclist and driver, keep left. If it's too narrow for the road to be shared, take the lane. Narrow roads generally have lower traffic speeds too, which makes it easier for cyclists to integrate.

Different cities have different hazards. We don't have to worry about tram lines or hook turns in Perth. Nor do we have the problems with the deep gutters found in cities with high rainfall. On the other hand, Perth is a relatively young city that hasn't yet been choked by ribbon development and urban infill. Most of the road expansion around Perth has taken place within the last 20 years, which means the roads are generally in better condition and usually have wider, well paved shoulders. In my opinion this means that drivers don't move as far to the right when overtaking. They generally expect cyclists to stay out of the way.